A case of measles has been reported in British Columbia — the first since 2019 — as the number of infections rises in some parts of the world, and provincial health officials are urging residents to make sure they’re up to date on vaccines.
Despite the widespread availability of measles vaccines in developed countries, public health experts are tracking a growing number of cases in countries including Austria, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
According to data published by the WHO, Europe saw a 30-fold increase in measles cases in 2023 compared to 2022, with more than 58,000 reported cases last year.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that is spread through direct contact with droplets, or via airborne spread.
Measles cases in greater Montreal and north of Toronto are concerning health officials because two of them are not connected to international travel and are also not connected to any other known cases in Canada. They say this might mean the virus is spreading in the community, and urge people to get vaccinated.
On Monday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said one case of measles related to travel was confirmed over the weekend in a child under the age of 10 in the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
There were a dozen cases reported in Canada last year. As of Feb. 29, at least nine cases of measles have been reported in Canada this year outside of B.C. The province says most of those cases were in people who were not immunized or not fully immunized, and who had travelled to countries where measles are spreading.
The measles vaccine is given as a series of two doses; the first dose, known as the MMR vaccine, protects against measles, mumps and rubella and is usually given around a child’s first birthday. The second dose is usually given as part of the MMRV vaccine (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) when the child starts school.
The Ministry of Health says babies as young as six months can get the measles vaccine if they are travelling to countries where measles is spreading. Appointments can be made with local public health providers.
Kids aged four and older can be vaccinated by a pharmacist. If it’s their first dose, immunization is best given at least two weeks before travel to give their body enough time to build immunity, the province says.
Officials say adults likely have protection from childhood vaccination or from having had measles in the past. In particular, they say, people born before 1970 likely had measles when they were young, before the vaccine was available.
International travel is set to gather pace soon, as students in B.C. begin a two-week spring break on March 18.